1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to improvements in folding chairs. More particularly, the invention relates to configurations for backpack chairs which provide added convenience for the user.
2. Background Art
Backpacks and folding chairs are extremely compatible. Generally, when one is carrying a folding chair which is often used for various outdoor activities, they are also carrying other items. For example, someone taking a folding chair to a beach would generally be carrying beach towels, sun screen, a book, and other common beach items. Trying to carry a folding chair and these other items separately can be extremely burdensome. Accordingly, having a folding chair and backpack combination makes it much more convenient for the user to carry all their equipment.
While the combination of a folding chair and a backpack provide some easily recognizable advantages, there are other improvements which can be made to further benefit the user.
Most backpacks have no frame. They consist of little more than a container of pliant material to which shoulder straps are affixed. Day packs, knapsacks, book bags, bike bags, and the like, are examples.
On the other hand, general purpose backpacks which are capable of use in carrying heavy, bulky loads have a frame shaped to permit distribution of the load. Such frames usually comprise side bars interconnected at their upper and lower ends by cross-members to form a generally rectangular structure. The pack is made of pliant material and is suspended from the upper cross-member or the side bars or both cross-member and side bars.
An important feature of such a structure is that the element that rests against the wearer's back is separated physically from the walls of the pack container. The contents of the pack container are likely to cause depressions and bulges and protrusions in its forward side that would cause considerable discomfort if permitted to engage the pack carrier's back. Instead, a back rest is stretched taut across the side rails of the backpack frame in a region of the frame at which it, rather than the pack container, will rest upon the wearer's back. The shoulder straps of the conventional, framed backpack extend from an upper crossbar to respectively associated points on the side bars of the frame.
The result of the assemblage of back rest, shoulder straps, frame and pack container is an apparatus which is efficient for the performance of its primary task. A conditioned wearer can use it to carry heavy loads for long periods over difficult terrain. However, once removed from the wearer's back, it is awkward, will not readily stand with the pack container upright, and is thoroughly inconvenient and when empty has no use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,345 introduced the concept of incorporating a folding chair into a backpack such as those described above. The backpack chair, in a collapsed position, includes straps that extend over the shoulders and under the arms of a user so that the user may carry the chair on his or her back. These chairs are made of wood with diagonally extending legs that form an X-shape coupled to one another through cross-members. Additional wood slats form a seat frame and a back frame, with the seat and back frames pivotally coupled to one another through a cross-member. A canvas panel extends across the seat frame to form a seat for the user. A similar panel extends across the back frame to provide a seat back for the user. A pack container is also attached to the folding chair. This invention, however, requires that the chair be fully open in order to support the pack container in an upright position. This makes it awkward to pack or unpack the pack container unless there is plenty of room to fully open the chair.
What is needed, therefore, is a backpack chair that provides support for the pack container in an upright position even if the chair is not fully open, while still retaining the qualities of a good backpack. In addition, it is also beneficial to provide a folding chair and backpack combined and modified to provide other conveniences for the user.